Generally, subscribers to mobile communication service turn on or off mobile terminals when needed.
When the power of a mobile terminal is turned on, power is applied to the mobile terminal, and the powered mobile terminal requests the communication service registration of the mobile terminal from the server of a mobile communication service provider while communicating with an adjacent base station. The mobile terminal whose communication service has been registered can be provided with communication service, such as an outgoing call connection or incoming call connection service, and multimedia data service, such as Short Message Service (SMS) and Internet service, as necessity requires.
Furthermore, the mobile terminal can register its current location with the server of the mobile communication service provider through communication with a base station. Alternately, the location of the mobile terminal can be tracked using a Global Positioning System (GPS).
FIG. 1 is a conceptual view illustrating the power-on/off process of a common mobile terminal. In FIG. 1, a subscriber terminal 100 that has subscribed to communication service is connected to a server 200 of the mobile communication service provider and a patron terminal 300 via a wireless communication network. The subscriber terminal 100 detects a call connection through the subscriber terminal 100 or the patron terminal 300, and is provided with communication service.
The subscriber terminal 100 and the patron terminal 300 are mobile phones. Although not shown in the drawing, they each include a transmission/reception means for performing wireless communication, a control means for performing the overall control of the mobile phone, a display means for displaying the operation and status of the mobile phone, a voice Input/Output (I/O) means, and a key input means for inputting character data.
Meanwhile, if power-off manipulation is detected through the key input means, the subscriber terminal 100 is powered off. However, before being powered off, the subscriber terminal 100 requests the release of the communication service connection by sending a power-off signal to the server 200 of the mobile communication service provider. After the communication service connection of the subscriber terminal 100 has been released, all the functions of the mobile terminal 100, including an incoming connection function, an outgoing connection and the other functions, are terminated. The server 200 of the mobile communication service provider stores information about the subscriber terminal 100 whose communication service connection has been released in a database. Thereafter, when a call connection to the subscriber terminal 100 whose communication service connection has been released is detected, the server 200 of the mobile communication service provider sends a message indicating that communication is impossible due to power-off to the terminal 300 on a calling side.
If the battery is forcibly removed, or the terminal is forcibly powered off using a power key regardless of a user's intention, a problem arises in that all the functions of the subscriber terminal 100 are stopped and, accordingly, information about the location of the terminal cannot be ascertained.
In other words, in the case where a subscriber loses his or her terminal, if the person who picks up the lost subscriber terminal 100 forcibly removes the battery from the terminal or forcibly turns off the terminal using the power key, a problem arises in that the lost mobile terminal cannot be found.
Furthermore, in the case where the mobile terminal is powered off through the power key when a child or a teenager is in danger, a problem arises in that the location of the mobile terminal cannot be tracked using the mobile terminal.
Therefore, the present invention proposes a disguised power-off method for a mobile terminal, in which, when the mobile terminal is powered off against a user's desire, the mobile terminal outputs a signal through which the location of the mobile terminal can be determined and operates as if it is powered off.